Sunday, 31 January 2010

Barcelona Modernisme

A one-hour direct flight from Nice got us into Barcelona by noon for our one-week séjour in the land of Gaudi.

Apartment View

Our huge apartment was well-situated on Calle Pintor Fortuny in the Old Town.

La Boqueria Market

La Boqueria Market

We selected this apartment because of its proximity to La Boqueria, the vibrant covered market, where each stall is a feast for the eyes, not to mention the taste buds.

Palau de la Música Catalana

After our third visit to this city of approximately 1.7 million inhabitants, we still can't get enough of the Modernisme architecture, which is so identifiable with Barcelona. Modernisme (or Catalan Modernism) is a derivative of Art Nouveau, and originated in Barcelona in the 19th century, where it intensified exponentially with the arrival of the 1888 Universal Exhibition. Modernisme architects include Lluís Domènech I Montaner, Josep Puig I Cadafalch, and one of its most well-known and most passionate adherents, Antoni Gaudí.

La Sagrada Familia Church

Rooftop of Gaudí's Casa Milà

Street Art in Barcelona

Street Sculpture by Joan Miró

Gaudí's Parc Güell

Barcelona is a beautiful walking city with large boulevards, a lively seaside promenade, and, of course, the ever-so-popular LasRamblas. You never know when you turn the corner if you are going to come face-to-face with an elaborate example of one of Gaudí's masterpieces, or an architectural gem of one of the other Modernisme devotees, or a Joan Miró mosaic or sculpture, or another fanciful structure of art in the middle of the street.